Posts Tagged ‘carpet manufacturing flaws’

Carpeting is made using one of two methods: tufting or weaving. Almost all of the residential carpet sold today is made by tufting. Tufting machines are basically giant sewing machines. Instead of a single needle, 800-1,000 computer controlled needles stitch carpet yarns across a backing material to form the carpet. The needles are set to control the height of the carpet pile. Sometimes a single needle stitches a row of yarn that is too long. Cut pile carpets are carefully sheared after tufting in order to assure a smooth, even pile surface. Even so, a high row or high line can show up after a carpet is installed. If the high row is bent over and buried in the carpet pile, the line may take days or weeks to appear after the carpet has been repeatedly vacuumed. Tufting high lines always run lengthwise. (more…)

Beautiful carpeting is made on very complicated machinery. When more parts make up a machine, more things can go wrong with the manufacturing process. The carpet mills know this. They have extensive inspection and quality control departments whose function is to find defective carpet and keep it from arriving at your home. In spite of these controls, mistakes happen.

Carpeting can contain various types of streaks, either lengthwise or widthwise in direction. There are many causes for these streaks. I recently looked at some carpet that had widthwise lines/streaks throughout the installation. The complaint for this newly installed carpet was listed as “uneven dye.” It was not noticed until the day after installation. I was asked by the mill to determine the cause of this problem. I arrived at my conclusion by using a process of elimination. (more…)

Pattern bowing is only noticeable with printed or woven patterned carpet and loop patterned carpet. There are several causes for a crooked pattern, but the end result is that the pattern does not run straight when you look across or down the room. (more…)

All kinds of lines appear in carpets. You can see some as soon as the carpet is rolled out; some don’t show up for several days or weeks. Some run lengthwise, others widthwise. Some can be removed, others can’t. Below is information on carpet oil streaks. I also suggest you read my previous posts on high lines and low lines in carpet, shear streaks, stop marks and shift marks.

Any mechanical equipment needs lubrication. Carpet tufters are complicated machines, with hundreds of moving parts that must be oiled. Machine oils from various places in the production line can get on the carpet pile. Part of the finishing process for broadloom carpets involves scouring and washing to remove contaminants. Still, because the oil is clear, (more…)

Any manufactured product can have defects. Carpeting is no different. When carpeting comes off the final product line, it goes through an inspection process. The most glaring, obvious defects are caught during this mill inspection.

Once the carpet is delivered to your home for installation, your installer is the next line of defense against defects. It is the installer’s responsibility to examine the carpet for defects after it is unrolled. If he/she sees a problem, the installation is stopped until the nature of the defect is determined. Some defects can be corrected. Sometimes the carpet must be replaced. (more…)

All kinds of lines appear in carpets. You can see some as soon as the carpet is rolled out; some don’t show up for several days or weeks. Some run lengthwise, others widthwise. Some can be removed, others can’t. Below is information on carpet shift marks. Future blogs will cover other common line flaw types, such as oil streaks and pattern bowing. I also suggest you read my previous posts on high lines and low lines in carpet, shear streaks and stop marks.

Carpets are tufted with either straight rows or zig-zag rows. Zig-zag rows are made using a step-over stitch. When the tension of the tufting equipment is set too tightly, the carpet is made with too (more…)

All kinds of lines appear in carpets. You can see some as soon as the carpet is rolled out; some don’t show up for several days or weeks. Some run lengthwise, others widthwise. Some can be removed, others can’t. Below is information on carpet stop marks. Future blogs will cover other common line flaw types, such as shift marks, oil streaks and pattern bowing. I also suggest you read my previous posts on high lines and low lines in carpet and shear streaks.

All kinds of lines appear in carpets. You can see some as soon as the carpet is rolled out; some don’t show up for several days or weeks. Some run lengthwise, others widthwise. Some can be removed, others can’t. Below is information on carpet shear streaks. Future blogs will cover other common line flaw types, such as stop marks, shift marks, oil streaks and pattern bowing. I also suggest you read my previous post on high lines and low lines in carpet.

You will see shear streaks when a tufting machine’s shearing blades malfunction. The blades can jump up when the machine stops or starts suddenly. Then you’ll see a (more…)

All kinds of lines appear in carpets. You can see some as soon as the carpet is rolled out; some don’t show up for several days or weeks. Some run lengthwise, others widthwise. Some can be removed, others can’t. Below is information on high lines and low lines in carpet. Future blogs will cover other common line flaw types, such as shear streaks, stop marks, shift marks, oil streaks and pattern bowing.

Lengthwise high lines or high rows in tufted cut pile carpets show up for a couple of different reasons. Carpets are sheared during the finishing process to produce an even pile height and texture. The shearing blades are like a reel lawn mower that runs the width of the carpet. If the blades are nicked, the carpet pile running under the damaged area comes out higher than the rest of the pile. Improperly set tufting needles can insert a row or rows of yarn that are too long. This happens with both cut and loop patterns. Sometimes the final shearing for cut piles misses these high rows. Loop carpets aren’t sheared, so the high rows stay in the roll until inspection. (more…)

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Glenn Revere is a nationally recognized Carpet Inspector who has dedicated his life to the study, maintenance, and sales of carpets. He specializes in carpet, laminate, hardwood, and engineered flooring. Glenn consults for individuals, manufacturers, and installers.